I'm starting out in Unity3d. Making games for my own enjoyment using the free version. I've watched through a few YouTube tutorials and I want to start designing a game loosely based on Age of Empires 2. This game was a favourite of mine growing up, so I know most of it inside out. I'm not out to make money, so I'm not bothered if it's been done, or if the idea doesn't sell. It's purely a learning experience.

What I want to know (From all the people who have played it) What are the aspects you really like from the original, what are the things you hate, and what things would you change or improve?

I'm already planning on it being full 3D and having a fully moveable camera. The other things I want to change personally are:

• 3D Camera/world
• Units automatically respond when they are attacked (whilst they are moving). - In the original, if units were moving to a target, they would ignore enemy attacks and often die because of this.
• Raise or remove the population limit. - Just a thing that has always annoyed me. Especially on bigger maps. (I like big, drawn out games)
• Several randomly chosen (Or selected??) models for common buildings. - Just makes cities look more interesting.
• Day/Night cycle - Could make it interesting?? - Units move slowly at night. Certain stealth units could become invisible to enemies. Fire arrows would look awesome!
• Weather cycle - Again, units can slow down if it's raining etc. Perhaps even lose health if exposed to the snow too long.
• Units level up - Like lots of modern RTS games - units gain personal XP through killing enemies.
• Redesign buildings?? - Or re-model the original ones in 3D?

TL;DR:

Wanna remake AOEII in 3d. What should I do different?

hmm age of empire 2..
i love that game if u ask me what aspect good or bad.. in AOE 2 i have some
- Bad aspect
- soldier/unit create only one after build, i mean if you create unit quantity is 1 and unit is 1 is not like war to me if the unit is not in group. like RTS COH2
- the resource too few (gold,stone,food) make it different resource every nation/country and trade if u want it.

- Good aspect

- have more selection country or nation, not like AOE 3 only have few selection country

- good trade system

that my opinion
i really love if someone can make a remake of AOE 2 if u have a problem u can ask me
if i can help i will help you best i can

sorry for my grammar

AoE II ... that's a while ago, hope i still remember everything from the game.

Units automatically respond when they are attacked (whilst they are moving). - In the original, if units were moving to a target, they would ignore enemy attacks and often die because of this.

I'm almost positive you had to choose units' stance, which would determine whether they attacked, defended when attacked, or ignored.

(i recall something about having a multitude of stances available if you wanted to, it just a few basic ones)

Raise or remove the population limit. - Just a thing that has always annoyed me. Especially on bigger maps. (I like big, drawn out games)

If you are to raise it, maybe make the supply/housing upgradable instead of filling half the map with it ?
(i believe AoE wasn't that bad with it, but it could be more convenient)

(also note that having a larger army also means more units to keep an eye on, most other games therefor just make bigger units available)

weather and day/night cycle sound good, it will depend on how it affects the gameworld though, hard to do well.

Units level up

How about this:
You have to research level-up "skills"

you can choose for a(ny) unit which skill you want it to gain on it's first level-up, and you research that, then you research what you want it to gain on it's second level-up etc.

A few basic skills (+armor, +attack, +hp) available for every unit and some special skills available for specific units(+range, +attack rate, regeneration, maybe some aura's)

or possibly giving units +hp on level up for "free" and let the player research other skills the units will gain additionally to the extra hp.

Redesign buildings??

A matter of taste, if you want it to look like AoE you 'll have to make them look like AoE though.

in general, making a 3D RTS is a huge endevour that will take an experienced team many years to complete. If you havent done many large projects already it would be better to do something less super-ambitious, or otherwise you will just fail and go back to square one.

It sounds like: i wanna do entire Age of empires, BUT in full 3D, AND with extra features.

Do you have skills in modelling and AI-programming as well, otherwise the game will be hard to complete at all.

(sorry if i sound negative, but its a SUPER big project you propose:)